Qimuksiq: Reviving a threatened tradition

It was cold, colder than usual for the time of year. Some 45 kilometres to the northeast, the Ikpiarjuk (Arctic Bay) airport would tally the low of minus 31.8 C as the coldest April 18 of the last 20 years. But the sun was shining, a clear indication that the darkness and true chill of winter had been washed away by the embrace of an early High Arctic spring.

Here, at the frozen mouth of the Iqalulik river on the northwestern corner of Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island), a small camp began to take shape. Not so slowly, a mix of well-worn white canvas tents seemed to pop out of the equally white sea ice, joined by others of bright orange and yellow.

As the tents went up, organized activity flurried around them. Plywood, blankets, sleeping bags and stoves were pulled from their resting places deep inside the qamutiit (traditional Inuit sleds) and placed inside the tents. A small number of saw-or shovel-wielding campers ventured out to where the sea of snow drifts was undisturbed, seeking the best snow and ice for drinking and cooking water. Another group, also gripping saws and axes, chopped whole frozen Arctic char and seals into small, manageable portions for dogs. Those too young to help out kicked a soccer ball through the snow.

An underwater drone is helping reconstruct submerged landscapes inhabited by people in the early Holocene

Approaching the beach town of Goderich, Ont., you’ll travel through rolling farmland and pasture. Suppose that once you reach Lake Huron, you continue northeast towards Michigan. Travel past the sandy beaches, and plunge below the clear water to the lakebed to ride along a shallow ridge with two deeper basins flanking either side. In this spot roughly 10,000 years ago, you would have been standing on dry land. And if you listened closely, you probably would have heard the thundering of caribou hooves, or the celebration of a successful hunt.

In the early 2000s, John O’Shea, an archeologist at the University of Michigan, first spotted this conspicuous ridge running the width of Lake Huron, from Alpena, Michigan, to Amberley, Ont., on a detailed bathymetric map. A boat trip using side-scan sonar revealed structures along the ridge that appeared to be human-made. His team of researchers and divers quickly began exploring the Alpena-Amberley Ridge. At the Drop 45 site, they identified a series of stone structures where migrating animals would have bottlenecked on the once-dry ridge, including stacked stones that created a “funnel lane” to corral caribou and blinds where hunters would await their prey unseen.

Researchers, students and hunters are coming together in Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay) to learn from each other about snow in the High Arctic.

By Meral Jamal

Alexandre Langlois remembers the first field school for snow he attended more than two decades ago. It was 2002. He was a graduate student and the school was taking place in Rovaniemi and Kilpisjärvi in Finland.

Langlois can recall the feelings and the friendships vividly. “The excitement, the passion of the students — it really reflects how we were at that age.”

Flash forward to today and the University of Sherbrooke professor is co-lead for a snow school taking place here in Canada — at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), Nunavut, from April 1 to 8.

Newfoundland coastal living. The trip starts with an Ocean Safari which may include icebergs, whales, cod fishing and dinner prepared by a local chef, and progresses to include kayaking, a local tour to either the world famous Bell Island Mines or the South Dildo Whaling & Sealing Museum, local musical entertainment and snorkelling. At the end of each fun filled day, we regroup at Ocean Quest Lodge to debrief, share stories and revel in the joy of Newfoundland’s musical entertainment.
Meet your ambassador: Rick Stanley

Check out these other upcoming trips:
- Salish Sea Expedition with Maple Leaf Adventures
- Vancouver to Whistler Cultural Hiking Journey with Marlis Butcher
- Annapurna Sanctuary Photography Trek with Javier Frutos